Major incidents have been declared by fire services across the country as services endured immense pressure dealing with multiple blazes on the hottest day in the UK since records began.
In London, South Yorkshire and Leicestershire major incidents were declared due to the number of incidents, with people advised against having barbecues in parks and private gardens and on patios and balconies, due to the fire risk.
Residents were evacuated from their homes in the village of Wennington, east London, after flames destroyed buildings and ravaged nearby fields as temperatures soared to more than 40C for the first time. At least one home was destroyed by the fire, while others appeared to be badly damaged.
A firefighter at the scene, asked by the PA news agency what conditions were like, replied: “Absolute hell.”
A local resident, Janet Hickey, who has terminal pancreatic cancer, said she was forced to leave all her cancer drugs behind during the mass evacuation. The 70-year-old said: “I’ve got all my cancer drugs in the fridge.”
Her husband, Patrick Hickey, 71, added: “We had to leave everything. We’re hoping against hope that our house is still there.”
A major incident was also declared in South Yorkshire after firefighters were called to deal with a number of blazes spreading to houses. The most serious was in Barnsley when a row of houses in the Moorland Avenue area was consumed by flames.
Kevin Osborne, a Labour councillor in Barnsley, wrote on Twitter that he believed that six houses had been involved in the incident as he posted footage of one home being destroyed by flames.
Local residents launched a crowdfunding page to help those involved, writing on JustGiving: “They’ve managed to contain the fire but the houses are completely destroyed. People have been left with nothing.
“Let’s show them the Barnsley community spirit and raise them a bit of much needed cash, whether it be short term accommodation or to help them rebuild. Thanks for your support.”
Videos on social media showed multiple houses in Dagenham, east London, had been destroyed following a “significant grassfire” that left a man and woman in hospital due to smoke inhalation. In nearby Upminster, 30 fire engines dealt with a grass fire on Pea Lane.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said the London fire brigade had received more than 1,600 calls for assistance by late Tuesday afternoon.
Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at LFB, told Sky News many of the fires were spread over wide areas and began because the ground is “tinderbox dry”.
The Metropolitan police advised people not to start a barbecue or bonfire, avoid leaving broken bottles or glass on the ground and dispose of cigarettes safely.
The force said: “Our London fire brigade counterparts are working incredibly hard tackling a number of fires across London in the most challenging conditions. Some of these fires are over widespread areas and will require an ongoing presence through the night.
“Officers have been deployed to these major incidents throughout the day to provide safety and security to impacted areas and to support LFB crews.”
South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said: “The emergency services working across South Yorkshire have now declared a major incident due to the demand on services from fires across the county. The fires are being prioritised in relation to risk to life and risk to property.
“All of the agencies are working closely to bring resources together and minimise risk. Please avoid calling 999 unless life is at risk. More information to follow.”
On Tuesday night Leicestershire Fire and Rescue stood down a major incident in the region when demand for the fire service reached overwhelming levels this afternoon due to the unprecedented temperatures.
It tweeted: “We are now standing down from a major incident. We have sufficient level of resources back in the organisation to respond business as usual. We would like to thank everyone for their support, it has been much appreciated.”
